Beetroot Falafels
Hot pink falafels from scratch - one soak, one blitz, and a freezer full of future dinners.
Serves: 6, with an additional batch for freezing
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus overnight soaking and draining
Cook time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups (295g) dried chickpeas
1 1/2 cups (295g) split fava beans
2 cups (520g) Greek-style yoghurt (drained overnight)
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
2 beetroot, quartered with skins on
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons sea salt flakes
vegetable oil, for shallow frying
1 cup (20g) flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
1 teaspoon sumac
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup (80g) cornichons or pickles, sliced or chopped
1 small salad onion, thinly sliced
pita pockets, warmed, to serve
chilli sauce (optional)
METHOD
For the labne, place the chickpeas and fava beans in a large bowl, cover with water and let soak overnight. Drain.
Line a small strainer with paper towels or muslin over a bowl. Put the yoghurt in the strainer and let it drain overnight in the fridge until it thickens into labne.
For the falafels, blend the carrot, celery, onion and beetroot in a food processor until finely diced.
Add the drained chickpeas and fava beans and blend until the mixture becomes grainy.
Blend in the garlic, ground coriander, cumin and sea salt until combined.
Test the mixture by shaping a small amount into a patty. Adjust the blending if necessary until the mixture holds together.
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat.
Shape the falafel mixture into small patties and fry in batches for approximately 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Cook enough for your immediate meal and store any remaining uncooked falafels in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
For the parsley salad, toss the parsley with the sumac, a pinch of sea salt, the olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Serve the falafels in warm pita pockets with labne, parsley salad, sliced pickles and onion. Add chilli sauce if you like things loud.
HINTS
Dried chickpeas are non-negotiable here - tinned ones turn the mixture to mush and the falafels will fall apart in the pan.
Freeze the uncooked patties flat on a tray before bagging them up, then fry straight from frozen with an extra couple of minutes per side.
If your test patty crumbles, keep blitzing - the finer the grind, the more the natural starches bind everything together.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 6 plus freezer batch - guide only):
Energy: approximately 15550kJ (3715 calories)
Protein: 170g
Fat: 155g
Saturated fat: 40g
Carbohydrates: 385g
Sugars: 45g
Fibre: 105g
Sodium: 7800mg
Note: covers the full falafel mixture including the freezer portion. Frying oil is estimated at absorption only; excludes pita.
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.